Sony 16-70mm f/4.0 overview

Covering both wide landscapes and tight portraits, the Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm f/4 ZA OSS Lens from Sony is a great all-around choice for APS-C-format E-mount cameras. It offers a very versatile 24-105mm equivalent zoom range and even features a constant f/4 aperture for consistent performance. Also, through the use of one extra-low dispersion element, one Advanced Aspherical, and three aspherical elements, users will enjoy sharp, aberration-free imagery. Furthermore, the lens benefits from Zeiss' T* anti-reflective coating to effectively eliminate ghosting and flare.

For fast, silent autofocus, the 16-70mm is equipped with a linear motor and uses an internal focus design. It also has Optical SteadyShot image stabilization to reduce the effects of camera shake, especially at longer focal lengths. Additionally, the lens can focus as close as 13.8" and it has a seven-blade circular diaphragm for smooth bokeh.

Based on the Zeiss Tessar optical concept, this lens uses a design with 16 elements in 12 groups that helps ensure a smaller overall lens size along with reduced flaring, distortion, and chromatic aberrations.

A versatile mid-range zoom for APS-C-format E-mount cameras, this 16-70mm lens provides a wide-angle to short telephoto 24-105mm equivalent focal length that works for anything from vast landscapes to tight portraits to distant subjects.

A constant f/4 maximum aperture offers consistent performance throughout the zoom range and also lends greater control over focus position for shallow depth of field techniques.

Zeiss T* anti-reflective coatings have been applied to each lens surface to help minimize reflections in order to provide greater image clarity, contrast, and color fidelity.

One extra-low dispersion glass element is featured in the lens design to help reduce chromatic aberrations and color fringing for improved clarity and color neutrality.

Four aspherical elements, including one Advanced Aspherical (AA), are incorporated in the lens design to reduce astigmatism, field curvature, coma, and other monochromatic aberrations.

Optical SteadyShot image stabilization helps to minimize the appearance of camera shake for sharper imagery when shooting handheld with slower shutter speeds. This stabilization system can also be combined with select camera's sensor-shift type image stabilization for more effective control of camera blur.

Sony 16-70mm f/4.0 reviews

Rated 5 out of
5 by
GN from
Great lensI write a review for the E 16-70 F4 after more than one year living with it. My first impression with this lens was not very positive because this lens is not as sharp as the E 35mm F1.8 and E 50mm F1.8 when I tested against test chart. However, this E 16-70 really surprised me a lot in Mexico and many other events. In real life, the E16-70 is very sharp and has high contrast and very good color. This lens sometimes take better picture than the E 35mm due to Zeiss pop. Yes, the E16-70 does have Zeiss pop although it is less than the more expensive Zeiss lens. I now fall in love with this lens and I use it more than the E 35mm in good light.

Date published: 2016-06-01

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Dom C from
Very good lens with a6000This lens was not available for several months. I ordered it the day it was back in stock. Due to some complains of misalignment, I tested it the day I received it. I shot a grid pattern with the lens wide open at 16, 25, 40 and 70mm. At 16mm the lines at the very left and right edges were slightly soft. Nothing that bothered me. There was also a little geometric distortion and some chromatic distortion at the edges. Nothing that cannot be addressed. No problems at 25, 40 and 70 mm. I have also done a few test shots of landscapes. Very good details and contrast. It is a very good lens and great match for the a6000. Compact and light weight.

Date published: 2016-06-21

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Tom from
Perhaps the best e-mount APS-C zoom lensFirst thing, I should mention that I wasn't very satisfied with the first lens I received, so I returned it for another one. B&H could not have possibly done a better job with the exchange -- they did an absolutely wonderful job with the exchange process. The second lens was much, much better than the first, and it was more than entirely acceptable. I have been happily shooting with it ever since I received it, and I've been very happy with the results. Yes, it is expensive, but there just isn't anything like it for the APS-C E-mount. In the end, it's an excellent lens that produces great results, and it was well worth its cost, so me.

Date published: 2015-02-19

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Tom2272 from
Everything I hoped it would beI have had this lens for a few months now. Purchased it for a trip from Amsterdam to Prague in September. I came home with about 1800 images. This lens is every thing you could want in a small, light weight, travel/walk around lens. Focus was quick and sharp. Color and clarity of the images is spot on. As I work my way through the culling, editing, and organizing process of these images I constantly confirm I made the right choice when I chose this one lens to take on the trip. Coupled with my Sony a6300 camera body it was easy to carry all day and the effective 24 to 105 zoom covered the range I needed.

Date published: 2016-11-17

Rated 5 out of
5 by
ocdmachine from
Great all-around lens for my a6000With a crop body camera the 24-105 zoom is about perfect for an all-around lens and nice for travel. I have the 24-105L for my Canon 6D and rarely go outside those zoom ranges. Took this lens and a6000 on trip to the Holy Land and rarely wished I had a different lens. If I needed more zoom I could just crop the photo and have satisfactory results. Very happy with low light performance of this combination. As much as I still love my Canon 6D, I find myself using the a6000 majority of time due to light weight and IQ that I feel is pretty darn close to 6D full-frame performance.

Date published: 2016-04-14

Rated 5 out of
5 by
NEX Monkey from
Woah what a lensThis lens is a must have for NEX owner. The contrast and color rendition is beyond belief, so far the IQ is excellent across the focal length, this lens is definitely the sharpest lens I've used on my NEX-6. It also produces nicely defocused (bokeh) pictures. The F4 aperture did concern me but so far I've been able to use it on some night scenes without any problems, the OSS compensate for this somewhat slow lens. I didn't think I would enjoy using a zoom lens until now, gotta love the versatility. Finally this lens focus locks really quick, almost or just as quick as my Canon 60D.

Date published: 2013-10-15

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Greg from
A pleasant SurpriseI have a Sony A6000. I had read that this lens is a definite improvement over the 16-50 MM lens that came with the camera. So I thought I would try it. From the first photos I took, it was evident that this lens is sharp. Yes, it is sharper, and the comparison is not even close. The pleasant surprise was the improvement in color rendition. I did not expect to see such vibrant colors. I have taken photos across the zoom spectrum and to me, it is just as sharp at 16 mm as it is at 70 mm, with everything in between. Quite satisfied.

Date published: 2016-09-26

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Dor from
Perfect Travel LensI have been using the lens for about six months primarily when on travel. The images are sharp throughout the range with some softening toward the edges as might be expected when critically reviewed. The fit and finish are excellent. Zooming is smooth and dampened enough that there is no zoom creep. The OSS system works very well. I've surprised myself by getting images free of camera motion blur at 1/5 second. Auto focus is very fast and accurate. The lens is used with the A6000 and together make for a very versatile, compact and compelling package capable of producing high quality images.